IKE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE -- COAST-TO-COAST A CENTURY AGO

[Sanguine]

July 7, 1919 — Three days after the Fourth of July, at the Ellipse fronting the White House, a convoy of 81 vehicles lined up, facing west.  Flags flew.  Bands played.  The Secretary of War hailed “the beginning of a new era.”  Finally, at 11:15 a.m., the convoy was ready for its perilous, uncharted journey.  The destination — San Francisco. 

        For the previous half century, trains traveled coast-to-coast in just a week.  But by truck, the 3,200-mile slog was expected to take. . . two months.  With a roar of engines, cheers from the crowd, and smiles from the 250 volunteer adventurers, the Transcontinental Motor Convoy set out across America. 

        This wild journey would be a historical footnote but for one army officer along for the ride.  His name was Eisenhower....

https://www.theattic.space/home-page-blogs/2019/8/8/ikes-excellent-adventure-coast-to-coast-in-two-months

Really interesting story.  Hard to imagine now.

[bigheadfred]

Hard to imagine. Hard to imagine?

Idaho only had one paved road, and I didn't live near it, until 1985.

[Sanguine]

Hard to imagine. Hard to imagine?

Idaho only had one paved road, and I didn't live near it, until 1985.

Wow.  OK, hard for ME to imagine.   

[bigheadfred]

Wow.  OK, hard for ME to imagine.   

You know I like to kid. But my mom's folks didn't get electricity until about 1960 and they never had running water in the house.

[Joe Wooten]

You know I like to kid. But my mom's folks didn't get electricity until about 1960 and they never had running water in the house.

I remember when we finally got telephone service in Northern Reagan and southern Glasscock Counties  (West Texas) in 1962. it was a really big deal back then. FM 33 and FM 158 were the only paved roads in the County then too, and that did not occur until the early 1950's.

[Bigun]

I remember when we finally got telephone service in Northern Reagan and southern Glasscock Counties  (West Texas) in 1962. it was a really big deal back then. FM 33 and FM 158 were the only paved roads in the County then too, and that did not occur until the early 1950's.

In the early summer of 1954 the REA turned on electricity to my grandparents house.  The next morning my dad and two uncles went to town and came back with a brand new electric stove.  Had it with cutting firewood.

[bigheadfred]

In the early summer of 1954 the REA turned on electricity to my grandparents house.  The next morning my dad and two uncles went to town and came back with a brand new electric stove.  Had it with cutting firewood.

My mom's folks were burning wood until 1969 when my grandfather passed and she went to live with my uncle.

[Joe Wooten]

My mom's folks were burning wood until 1969 when my grandfather passed and she went to live with my uncle.

Most folks back home had been using butane/propane for 20 years or so because there just was not much wood on the high plains. This was before the mesquite trees took over most pastures. Both grandparents houses had piping on the ceiling for a propane light. Dad and Mom both said it could really make the house hot during the summer. When the local coop finally electrified in the late 40's early 50's, they quit using gas for lighting.

[bigheadfred]

I remember when we finally got telephone service in Northern Reagan and southern Glasscock Counties  (West Texas) in 1962. it was a really big deal back then. FM 33 and FM 158 were the only paved roads in the County then too, and that did not occur until the early 1950's.

I've seen people now getting mad cause they don't have phone service (no signal). Like it is a really big deal.   

[PeteS in CA]

While that journey and seeing Germany's autobahns toward the end of WW2 inspired the current Interstate Highway system, the Interstates were preceded by the US Highway system, begun in 1926 ("Get your kicks, on Route ..."). Many US Highways were upgraded and renamed for the Interstate system, but many US Highways are still heavily used (e.g. US 101 along the Pacific Coast and US 50, which goes from Sacramento, CA to the DelMarVa Peninsula on the East Coast).

[bigheadfred]

While that journey and seeing Germany's autobahns toward the end of WW2 inspired the current Interstate Highway system, the Interstates were preceded by the US Highway system, begun in 1926 ("Get your kicks, on Route ..."). Many US Highways were upgraded and renamed for the Interstate system, but many US Highways are still heavily used (e.g. US 101 along the Pacific Coast and US 50, which goes from Sacramento, CA to the DelMarVa Peninsula on the East Coast).

While the Interstate system is fantastic it also "killed" many small towns. The US highways ran through each one.

My daughter was living in Portlandia. The last time we were visiting and on the 101 the traffic was very heavy. I am not a traffic person. But the portion of the 101 I have traveled is a beautiful drive.

[PeteS in CA]

While the Interstate system is fantastic it also "killed" many small towns. The US highways ran through each one. 1

My daughter was living in Portlandia. The last time we were visiting and on the 101 the traffic was very heavy. 2 I am not a traffic person. But the portion of the 101 I have traveled is a beautiful drive. 3

1 Tis true to some degree. The idea of the Interstate system was to be high speed arteries where drivers - cars, truck, military convoys - didn't have to slow down to go through every town. But some towns have Interstates right on their outskirts - e.g. Woodland and Dunnigan on I-5 and Davis, Vacaville, Fairfield, and Dixon on I-80.

2 The freeway through Portland is I-5. US 101 goes through Astoria, on the coast. In large cities and metro areas freeways, including Interstates, often have not kept pace with population/traffic growth. In CA that is often intentional, and much of the taxes/fees that are supposed to go to building and maintaining highways get diverted to mass transit boondoggles and to band-aid budget deficits.

3 For most of the length of CA - from LA to Eureka - US 101 follows the path of the Spanish missions through the Coast Range Mountains. But at Eureka US 101 starts following along the coast. For most of the distance of US 101 where it goes through the Coast Range State Highway 1 ("Pacific Coast Highway" or "PCH") follows the CA coast. Whether SR1 or US 101, both are pretty beautiful drives.

[Joe Wooten]

While the Interstate system is fantastic it also "killed" many small towns. The US highways ran through each one.

My daughter was living in Portlandia. The last time we were visiting and on the 101 the traffic was very heavy. I am not a traffic person. But the portion of the 101 I have traveled is a beautiful drive.

The Interstates also made some small towns not so small anymore too, especially those within 40 to 50 miles of a major city. Until the highways got overloaded, it made for an easy commute from a "rural" area....

The little towns I live near in Illinoisy are a perfect example (Minooka/Channahon). They are right at the intersection if I80 and I55 and went from ~1500 in 1997 to over 10000 now from all the refugees from Chicago.

[Free Vulcan]

My uncle in SE Iowa didn't have electricity till the early 60's. Some just got phone service around the same time. Both my parents went to one room schoolhouses till then. Party line telephones were common well into the 70's here.

You'd be surprised how many rural folks didn't have amenties that far into the modern era.